Text Message Symbols

When you're typing with your thumbs, you need to save your effort by communicating with as few letters as possible. Consequently, users created text message symbols as a sort of shorthand to make texting easier and faster. Most symbols make sense and have become a mainstay in texting language.

Common Text Message Symbols

There are a few different ways the unique language of text messaging is created. Some text message symbols abbreviate words by leaving out vowels or replacing several letters with a single letter that has the same sound. Others are acronyms, replacing an entire sentence with the first letter of each word. This list presents some of the most commonly used abbreviations and acronyms.

Common Text Message Emoticons

Emoticons are pictures or faces made from characters on a cell phone's keypad. You may choose to send emoticons to express your mood or add some humor or personality to a message rather than typing out an entire message.

Meaning

Emoticon

Angel

0:-)

Angry

>:-(

Baby

~:o

Braces

:-#

Cat

=^.^=

Confused

:-/ or %-( or :-S

Crying

:'-( or : ,-(

Dork

8-B

Drool

:-)...

Elvis Presley

5:-)

Evil

>-)

Glasses

8-)

Greedy

$_$

Happy

:-) or :)

Happy Tears

:')

Heart

<3

Hugs

(((H)))

Intoxicated

%-}

King

\VVV/

Kiss

:-*

Laughing

:-D

Liar

:-----)

Lips are sealed

:-x

Pig

:@

Pirate

P-(

Punk

-:-)

Queen

\%%%/

Robot

<(-_-)>

Rolling your eyes

@@

Rose

@-}---

Runny Nose

:-~)

Sad

:-( or :(

Santa Claus

*<|:o)>

Shifty

:-\

Shock

:-()

Smoking

:-Q

Snake

~~~~8}

Sticking tongue out

:-p or :p

Sunglasses

B-)

Surprised

:-o

Tongue-tied

:-&

Uncle Sam

=I:-)=

Wink

;-) or ;)

Yawn

|-O

Yelling

:-@

Other Text Message Resources

The popular symbols and emoticons change on a daily basis and new ones are constantly being created. If you do not find symbols and emoticons to suit your needs on these lists or are confused by a message you have received, look to some online databases that feature a more extensive list of symbols, emoticons and other fun ideas for text messages.

BOLTOP offers one of the most extensive lists of symbols and emoticons. Symbols are grouped alphabetically and emoticons are grouped by emotion and theme.

Texts Reflect Your Personality

With these symbols, not only will you save time, but you will be able to send longer texts that contain more personality and emotion. You may also use these symbols when sending messages on popular social networking sites. If you cannot find a symbol or emoticon to fit your needs, create one of your own and teach it to your friends. Who knows? Your symbol or emoticon could become the next trend.

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